Five session musicians who led Steely Dan to greatness
Everything worthwhile about Steely Dan usually begins in the minds of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Being two of the most sophisticated songwriters in the world of rock and roll, half of the band’s material comes from charts that the band have laid out for their backing band to play along, from the mellow groove of ‘Do It Again’ to the jazz take on the blues in ‘Peg’. For all of the magic Becker and Fagen can weave together, they are only as good as the people standing behind them.
Going through the band’s back catalogue, they have always boasted a star-studded list of session musicians, taking the building blocks of their songs and turning them into something magical. Even though the duo made the crux of the songs, it took these legendary musicians to make it truly special.
That’s not to say that the days in the studio couldn’t get cutthroat, with artists like Mark Knopfler feeling uncomfortable the first time he played with the band. Steely Dan was never going to settle for merely decent playing, so anyone who was going to be in the session would have to be perfect.
Luckily, each of these session players rose to the occasion, interpreting the piece beautifully and turning what could have been merely ordinary songs into timeless works of musical art. It would never be easy going through any Steely Dan session, but when working alongside musical geniuses like this, recording sessions became a breeze.
Five musicians who led Steely Dan to greatness:
Elliot Randall
Every band has to start somewhere, but Can’t Buy A Thrill saw Steely Dan already fully formed. Taking the basis of jazz and fusion, the group had already solidified a winning sound, with Fagen co-opting his usual sardonic vocals. While the band was still a collective at this point, the presence of Elliot Randall behind ‘Reelin in the Years’ made for musical ecstasy during every guitar break.
Having a common knowledge of music theory, Randall is all over the neck on this tune, having a certain lyrical dimension to his sound reminiscent of what George Harrison had contributed to The Beatles’ greatest work. Although Steely Dan had no interest in pleasing the rock audience on their debut, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page would rank the solo break from this tune among his absolute favourites.
Denny Dias
Any good record knows how to leave the best first impression, and ‘Do It Again’ is no exception. From the minute the groove kicks in, most listeners knew exactly what Steely Dan was going for, mixing R&B and rock into an eclectic musical stew. Although Denny Dias may have been a fly-by-night guitarist with the band on future projects, his choice to move behind the sitar for the solo was genius.
Blending the sounds of Western and Eastern culture, Dias practically pulls notes out of his instrument, going on massive runs of scales, sounding so effortless in his hands. While Dias’ time with the band would take a backseat to the group’s need to build their records sonically, his debut performance is enough to put him among the greatest guitarists of the era.
Steve Gadd
Any good studio track always starts with building the drums first. Since Steely Dan were descendants of the world of R&B, it was almost expected that every one of their songs would return to the same sense of rhythm that all good soulful acts had during the 1960s. Although the title track to Aja already had an impressive performance in the verses by Steve Gadd, his drum solo is practically a clinic for any aspiring drummer to step up their game.
Completed in one complete take, Gadd is playing off the saxophone throughout most of his drum break, demonstrating a superhuman feat of endurance while also keeping everything completely in the pocket, down to the final click of his sticks before going right back into the main groove. Any drum solo that’s this thought-out would need to be played by a musical monster, but Gadd’s performance is proof of what can be done when session players do their homework.
Larry Carlton
If there’s any one session musician that deserved to be an official third member of Steely Dan, it would have to be Larry Carlton. Being one of the main descendants of the jazz world, Carlton’s touch on clean and dirty electric guitar struck a nerve with people every time he appeared on a track. Although a song like ‘Don’t Take Me Alive’ might be a better showcase of his ability, ‘Kid Charlemagne’ captures a genius at work painting a masterpiece.
Taking the building blocks of the chord changes, Carlton knows precisely where to take every one of the lead breaks, crafting an elegant solo that weaves in and out of the song effortlessly. Even when the groove slows midway through his solo, Carlton keeps playing off the band’s energy, making the most of his moment in the spotlight by adding a subtle guitar tap on the neck before they kick back into the final verse. Carlton had his fair share of highlights in and out of ‘The Dan’, but no amount of hours with the instrument can account for the amount of taste in this solo.
Bernard Purdie
For any session drummer, the main focus is to serve every song you’re playing. Even if the song demands a massive performance out of every player, it’s more about contributing a part that will improve the song rather than grandstanding for a few minutes. In the case of Bernard Purdie, throughout the recording of Aja, the rest of Steely Dan are practically serving him during his performance on ‘Home At Last’.
Hiring him for his great sense of rhythm, Purdie employed what is now known as the ‘Purdie Shuffle’, playing grace notes ever-so-slightly behind the beat while also keeping the pulse of the song consistent throughout. This approach to drumming would become a foundation of most session players, being a favourite of Jeff Pocaro of Toto and inspiring the drum groove in ‘Fool in the Rain’ by Led Zeppelin. Though the time might fluctuate on the grid, ‘The Purdie Shuffle’ is the sound of a song slowly breathing throughout a take.
